The daily pitch from Sports Editor Matt Daniels: July 3, 2024

Want a copy of today's edition? Here's a map of single-copy locations

Sports Editor Matt Daniels with a look at what’s going on around the area:

Three reasons we love sports today

➜ 1. Isaiah Williams of the Illinois football team and Kendall Bostic of the Illinois women’s basketball team are part of the 110th class of Big Ten Medal of Honor recipients . The league recognized all 28 athletes earning the conference’s most prestigious award on Tuesday.

➜ 2. Before fireworks light up the night sky on Thursday near Memorial Stadium and State Farm Center to celebrate the Fourth of July in Champaign, the annual 5K run will take place at 9:05 a.m. Thursday . The race starts and finishes on Kirby Avenue between State Farm Center and Memorial Stadium.

➜ 3. Need a basketball fix in early July? You’re in luck. The NBA Summer League will tip off on Saturday in California and continue for two more weeks in both Salt Lake City and Las Vegas. It’s a chance to watch former Illini like Terrence Shannon Jr. , Marcus Domask and others.

Numbers game: 5

First-place votes the Kansas football team received in the preseason Big 12 poll released on Tuesday. The Jayhawks — who visit Champaign for a 6 p.m. kickoff on Sept. 7 against Illinois at Memorial Stadium — were projected to finish fourth in the new 16-team league, only behind preseason favorite Utah, Kansas State and Oklahoma State. Kansas is the lone nonconference game for the Illini against a Power 4 opponent, and the Jayhawks are coming off a 9-4 season in 2023 that featured a win last September against Illinois in Lawrence, Kan., and a win against UNLV in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl.

Crowd control

Three events I’m paying attention to

➜ 1. Wimbledon . Can Aleks Vukic pull off a stunner and generate worldwide attention? The former Illini has a chance when he faces three-time major champion Carlos Alcaraz in the second round on Wednesday at the All England Club. Another former Illini, Rajeev Ram , will start doubles play this week when he and partner Joe Salisbury open against William Blumberg and Casper Ruud .

➜ 2. John Deere Classic . Three Illini will tee off in the first round of the PGA Tour event in Silvis on Thursday. Nick Hardy is first up at 7:40 a.m., followed by Adrien Dumont de Chassart at 8:57 a.m. and Jackson Buchanan at 2:06 p.m.

➜ 3. Terre Haute (Ind.) Rex at Danville Dans . The first-place Dans are back home at Danville Stadium at 6:30 p.m. Saturday after seven straight road games in the Prospect League.

Coach’s corner

Three questions with Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/Fisher wrestling coach Josh Carter, who is back this winter for a second stint leading the Falcons:

➜ 1. My favorite sports team is ... I don’t really follow pro sports, but I’ll rearrange my schedule to watch the USA wrestling team compete. I'm super excited to watch our USA wrestlers compete in the Olympics this summer.

➜ 2. Three coaches I’d like to have dinner with are ... Illinois wrestling coach Mike Poeta, Ohio State wrestling coach Tom Ryan and U.S. wrestling coach Bill Zadick.

➜ 3. My biggest pet peeve is ... people who make excuses and don’t take personal responsibility.